Writer: Wini Moranville
When it comes to beef, ribeye has always been king of the grill, but all that opulence comes at a price. I asked Nick Lenters, owner of Old Station Craft Meats in Waukee, for another contender to the throne, and he had a quick answer: hanger steak. It’s a great cut when you’re up for some beefy swagger, but not feeling quite so flush.
While hanger steak is a favorite among hardcore grilling aficionados, you likely won’t find it on most supermarket shelves; there’s simply not much of it to go around. “On a 900- pound animal carcass, there are only about 2 pounds of hanger meat,” Lenters explained. Indeed, thanks to the steak’s relative rarity, it’s sometimes called the “butcher’s cut,” as butchers traditionally reserved this rewarding piece for themselves.
So what’s so great about it? According to Lenters, it’s a muscle that hangs from the center of the animal, supporting the diaphragm. Because this muscle doesn’t get much exercise, the meat is notably tender; also, fat on a hanger steak is primarily external, close to the kidney fat, with minimal fat inside the muscle itself. “When you cook it, that outside fat renders beautifully,” he said.
Lenters offered a few cooking tips:
High heat and speed: Whether you’re grilling it outdoors in summer or broiling it indoors in winter, hanger steak is best cooked quickly over high heat.
Don’t overcook it: Lenters prefers the steak medium-rare and advises marinating the meat if you want it more well done.
Slice it right: For the best texture, cook the steak whole and then slice it crosswise. Encourage diners to slice each bite perpendicular to the muscle fibers. Doing so shortens them, making for a more tender bite.
Lenters’ butcher shop sells ready-to-grill hanger steaks and also uses it in one of the shop’s most popular summer dishes: Mongolian marinated beef skewers. “Those are one of our top-selling skewers in the summertime,” he said.
P.S.: A great way to get a taste of hanger steak without having to cook it yourself is to order it at Roots 95 in Johnston. Based on my experience, chef-owner Arturo Mora’s soy-marinated hanger steak expertly showcases this particular cut’s appeal.
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